Cat Phantom V

DECEMBER 2, 2022 / MAD HATTER

“Hey,iHakamada.” Translator: MadHatter 

“Thanksiforiyourihardiwork.” wfyyg

“So it’s timeifor the shiftichange huh. Byitheiway, Hakamada, you arrived earlyitoday.”

“Oh,iyes, well, a littleibit.” Not shared on aggregator websites

Afterientering the store, I exchanged familiar greetings and bowedias I entered the back room, where Iiwas met by Nagase, who glanced at hisiwatch.

“It hadibeen a while since my friends and I had gotten together but I figured if I stayeditoo long, I might getireally drunk.”

“Haha, so you leftiearly.”

“Somethingilikeithat.” fwegaqa

I didn’tiwant to be the victimion that road’s curve.dwf

“Right, if you disappear, Hakamada, weiwill have fewer people to work the nightishift.”

This barcodeimanager was a badiomen. As if whatihe said was on point, Nagase started to laughitoo. Ugh… eveniNagase.

With their laughter behind me, I went to the backiroom and changed into myiuniform.feo

Speakingiof which, Takenaka was supposed to be hereibut I hadn’t spottedihim yetitoday. Iithought heimight be rearranging the shelves again, soiI peeked out fromithe back room andichecked around the store, only to find no one who lookedilike Takenaka.

Oh, well…Not shared on wuxiax.me

“Takenakaiisicoming, isn’tihe?”fwerg

“Yeah, he’sicoming. I mean, he’sihere.”43he4

When I asked the manager about it, he respondediwith a meaningfuliphrase.

“Takenaka is inithe toilet.”

“Oh.” Not shared on aggregator websites

Heiwas cleaning theitoilet huh.

“He’sithrowingiup, though.”fcewgv

“…What!?”fvtweguybvv

Why!?bvyefwgyuv

Atithe same time I said that, Nagase suddenly burst outilaughing excitedly without any warning. It astonished meiand a few other customers who had accumulated in the store.

“Hyahahahahahaha! Hahahaha! Ahahahahaha!”fev

“Nagase…?!” Translator: MadHatter 

No good, Nagase was twisting his stomachiwhile laughing as though he were on fire. Whatispecifically transpired for him to be amused in thisiway?

“Buhahahaha! Hahahahi, ihihihihi!!”

Although theimanager rubbed Nagase’s back and triedito calm him down, he keptilaughing in an eerie manner, so muchiso that one of the customers fled to theiexit.

“Nagase, it’s time toisettle down, you’re leading the customersiaway…!”

“Ugh, uhi, phew… e-excuseibuhaha!!”

Wow, Nagaseiwas even more destructive thanithose guys whoihad an inseparable relationship with meiwhen it came to pressure points.

Iimean, Takenaka throwing up in the toilet… what didithat mean?efwv

“Um…imanager.”Not shared on aggregator websites

“Ah, actually, youisee.”fcwebgvr

When Iiasked him about it, this wasiwhat happened.

“In otheriwords, Takenaka got grossed out when he saw theicarcass of a cat thatihad beenirun over onithe road.”

He was apparently pukingiin the toilet of the convenience storeiwhere he worked.

Forireal?fewgrvh

No, no, no, we wereitalking about that Takenaka.

ThatisameiTakenaka.tyfersh

TheiTakenaka that was the guardian deity of this convenience store.

He drove away theimalevolent spirits that flockedito the convenience store and single-handedlyiattempted to protect the newcomers who swept in here time and timeiagain.

We were talkingiabout Takenaka, with his sterniguardian spirit in armoriand helmet, you know. Such a cool, adversary-free, and seamless (in my image) Takenaka was… at theimere sight of a cat carcass… 

As I was mulling thisiover, the door to the toilet in the back of the storeiopened. Takenakaistaggered out of the door, his body swaying.

“Hakamada, hi… Goodievening.”

Takenaka’s whiteiface turned pallid immediately after meetingime and greeted me. He wasievidently out of his element. Never before had I seen Takenaka looking soivulnerable.

“A-Are you alright?”grhnjt

When I inadvertently rushedito him and said so, Takenaka showed me a look thatisaid, “About what?”

“Oh, you see. The manager told meithat you were in the back. Heisaid that you got sick atithe sight of the cat carcass onithe road, but Takenaka, you would never…”

…do that, I addediwith a wry smile and at the moment I did so, Takenaka’s faceitightened up.

“Ugh!!”grbgeew2

Heiput one hand overihis mouth and leaned forward when I thought a strange voice was emitting from hisithroat.

His complexioniwas extremely poor. Onitop of that, both of his shoulders wereiquivering and the corners of his eyes were incredibly moist.

“Um…” Not shared on wuxiax.me

“…”Not shared on wuxiax.me

“Takenaka… the caticarcass on the road…”

“Ugh!!”Not shared on wuxiax.me

“…”Not shared on wuxiax.me

“…”Not shared on wuxiax.me

“Takenaka, didiyouiperhaps… theicat.”

“Ugggghhhh!!”Not shared on wuxiax.me

Wasithisiforireal…!!